


End of the World

by PJ1228



Category: Forever Knight
Genre: Episode: s03e22 Last Knight, Fix-It, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-27
Updated: 2013-01-27
Packaged: 2017-11-27 04:43:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/658128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PJ1228/pseuds/PJ1228
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Nightcrawler contemplates the '2012 phenomenon'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	End of the World

**Author's Note:**

  * For [enviropony](https://archiveofourown.org/users/enviropony/gifts).



> **Disclaimer:** Forever Knight and its characters were created by Barney Cohen and J.D. Parriott and are copyright to Sony/Tristar. None of the characters in this story belongs to me. I'm just borrowing them temporarily. No infringement intended. No profit is being made. 
> 
> Written for Enviropony on behalf of Fandom_Stocking 2012
> 
> **Acknowledgements:** Special thanks to foxy11814 for beta reading.
> 
> **Timeline:** The present

**End of the World**  
by PJ  
January 2013

_December 21, 2012_

"Bon soir, mes amis. The Nightcrawler is on the air, enlightening you with a final broadcast before the Great Cycle of the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar reaches completion. According to popular belief, cataclysmic events are soon expected to trigger the end of the world."

Lacroix paused in his speech and listened to the sounds from the adjacent club. The Raven was packed with New Age revellers. How convenient that the Mayas had the foresight to pin the final day of the 13th _baktun_ on a Friday night. Apparently mortals always required a cause for celebration, even if it was the end of the world. He certainly had the means to provide that end for some of them tonight if he chose to do so. And maybe he would if nothing more entertaining crossed his way. Such actions would guarantee a furious outburst from his grandchild which was always worthy of pursuit.

Lacroix chuckled lightly. She was the only reason he was still in Toronto, fixing yet another mistake of his son. On that fateful night in the loft, neither Nicholas nor Natalie had wanted to die. Nicholas had realized this soon after Lacroix had driven the stake into his back, missing the heart on purpose.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<

While Nicholas was thus incapacitated, his unwavering desire to live surged to the fore. It had kept him alive during the crusades, it had prevented him from going into the light when Lacroix brought him across, and it hadn't deserted him now. He struggled in vain to pull the stake from his body and finally begged Lacroix for help. Lacroix obliged him by ripping the stake out, casting it into the fireplace. Then he offered his wrist to promote the healing process. What followed was more than the detached feeding both had intended. The first taste of Lacroix's blood initiated long denied passions in Nicholas. He let go off the wrist and sank his fangs into Lacroix's jugular instead. Recognizing Nicholas' need that almost surpassed his own, Lacroix pushed the shirt out of the way and bit deep into Nicholas' shoulder. Their feeding intensified with the completion of the cycle, establishing an intimacy between them that caused their surroundings to fade into nothing.

Lacroix sighed in contentment as Nicholas collapsed spent into his arms. Finally the boy had come to his senses. Lacroix was confident that a future of endless nights filled with passion lay ahead of them. With the demise of the good doctor, there were no more mortal strings that kept Nicholas in this place. They could move on together, and if Nicholas' blood was any indication, he seemed to be looking forward to it. His statement that he considered Lacroix to be his closest friend had been serious.

Hours later, Nicholas stirred from sleep, but made no move to detangle himself from the other's arms. While Lacroix traced the outline of Nicholas' jaw lazily with his fingertip, a low moan startled them both.

"Nat?" Nick queried, puzzled, and hurried over to the spot where she was still lying as he had left her. Lacroix joined him, furrowing his brows as Natalie released another moan.

"Don't!" Nick interjected as Lacroix bit into his wrist. "Don't bring her across. We have to get her to a hospital."

"Can't you sense her, Nicholas? She's already come across," Lacroix observed.

"It can't be. She didn't feed from me."

"How quaint. Yet your blood must have gotten into her system. Apparently, she won't wake until she receives more."

When Nick made no move to provide the necessary sustenance, Lacroix sliced his wrist again. This time, Nick did not intervene, apparently too stunned at what was happening. Instead, he watched in horror as Natalie began to feed on the very blood that he craved more than anything else.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Doctor Lambert," Lacroix breathed after Natalie had released his wrist.

"I thought I had killed you," Nick stated in a rough voice.

"Nick, I love you too much to risk putting you through that kind of guilt. So, I made preparations before coming over and injected myself with a sample of your blood."

"This is not what I wanted," Nick stated, torn between relief that he hadn't killed her and horror about what Nat might think when she found out that he had chosen Lacroix over joining her in death.

"We can finally be together," Natalie entreated him. "Is that not what you want?"

Lacroix kept his silence and watched as Nicholas' gaze shifted between Natalie and himself as if he was trying to come to a decision. Finally, Nicholas stood and stated, "I can't deal with this right now." Turning around, he grabbed his coat and fled from the loft.

"He will be back," Lacroix stated softly.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

That had been sixteen years ago. Instead of pursuing his son, Lacroix had stayed to provide a proper tutelage to his grandchild. Recognizing her need for guidance during the first years, she had accepted his presence in her life for lack of a more suitable person. Unfortunately, she insisted on the same ethical standards that had complicated his relationship with Nicholas. While she was able to control her hunger around mortals remarkably well, it was her wits and her temper that he found most entertaining. If he managed to push her to a certain degree, her control would slip and without hesitation she would attack and bury her fangs in his neck. When he returned the bite, her blood was a heady mix of fury, confusion, and a trace of Nicholas.

"The Nightcrawler wants to know how you are going to spend the final hours of this era," Lacroix resumed his broadcast. "Are you out to celebrate? Are you sitting alone in the dark, contemplating on missed opportunities in the past? Or are you spending the remaining hours with your family or your beloved?"

While he was waiting for the phone lines to come alive, there was a commotion at the door. A moment later, a figure strode into the studio. "I'm intending to spend eternity with my beloved," Nicholas stated.

Lacroix stared at the golden hair that was tousled from the wind, indicating a recent flight. "Indeed? Why did you choose this particular night for your return?"

"They say the world might be going to end. I thought I might come back in time to complain because you promised me eternity."

"Do you really believe this nonsense about the impending end of the world?" It would be just like Nicholas to adhere to all the wrong interpretations of Mayan literature. Just as he had believed in the legend of the jade cup.

Nicholas shook his head. "No. But tonight is also winter solstice. You always provided a special treat on the longest night of the year."

Lacroix smiled. For the Mayas, tonight marked the end of the 5,125 year-long cycle. But this only meant that another was about to begin and he was determined to cherish every hour of it.

FIN


End file.
